HTC ‘Vive Eclipse’ Trademark Appears in New Zealand

With there being just over two months left of 2017 the window for HTC and Google to release their standalone headset is narrowing quickly. While no mention of the headset was made at Google’s most recent press conference for Pixel 2 – with Daydream also getting a look in – HTC has applied for a new trademark in New Zealand, possibly indicating a new name or headset, Vive Eclipse.
Last month Lets Go Digital noticed a European and US trademark application for Vive Focus by HTC. Now the same website has picked up on this new application for Vive Eclipse. The submission was only made last week and it’s definitely for a virtual reality (VR) headset with the listing saying:
“Head mounted display for computer simulated reality; computer hardware; computer simulated reality software; computer simulated reality game software; handheld controllers for use in computer simulated reality environment; optical devices, namely, eye pieces for head mounted displays; carrying cases and holders for use with head mounted displays; smartphones; portable computers; wearable electronic devices in connection with a head mounted display for use in computer simulated reality environment; motion tracking sensors; handheld computer simulated reality controllers; computer peripherals for mobile devices for remotely accessing and transmitting data; apparatus for the recording, transmission or reproduction of sound, images, or data; electronic and optical communications instruments and components.”

Unfortunately those details don’t exactly help specify what type of headset the Vive Eclipse might be, referencing ‘smartphones’ and ‘portable computers’ at the same time. The HTC standalone headset is going to have all the processing power built in so it won’t need a smartphone. The other possibility looks toward the HTC Link, a headset designed for HTC’s U11 phone which has only been made available in Japan currently.
It may just be that HTC will have Vive Focus for the European and US markets while Vive Eclipse will be for New Zealand and Australia. If it is the same headset splitting the names is an unusual step – although not uncommon with global brands.
When HTC does eventually decide to reveal all, VRFocus will let you know.